The Founders Four
by pottermore1331
Summary: A story of how the founders met, became friends, how and why they came up with the idea to start a school, and what they had to go through to be able to become the founders of Hogwarts. Crappy summary but hopefully a better story.
1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note: This is my first story and it is about the founding of and the founders themselves of Hogwarts, and it starts with the events that led up to the founders meeting, becoming friends, and what they had to go through to get to the idea of starting a school. All comments are welcome and appreciated. Everything belongs to J.K. Rowling I own nothing and am just borrowing. Hope you enjoy!**

Prologue

A female house elf stood scanning the hall with piercing grey eyes, her only feature that did not betray her extreme age. Her uniform of sorts, to replace a lack of clothing, was a piece of tartan wrapped and draped to maintain modesty and allow for the movement that her duties required. With silvered hair, skin that had long ago sagged from her tiny now hunched frame, and a gait, which betrayed the ever-present stiffness of her limbs, a sense of quiet defeat would be expected. However an air of pride existed due to the fact no matter her personal decay, the honor and nobility of the Ravenclaw family who she served would remain undiminished.

"Mistress Rowena," Alva called into the open air, satisfied with the hall at last. With the faintest of pops a young woman appeared at her side. Her pale face was flushed and slightly dirty, long black hair swung wildly as if she had just come in from a wind, and a simple dark blue dress was stained with mud and damp from the misting rain that had begun hours earlier.

"Yes, dearest Alva what is it you require of me," she asked while trying to steady herself from her sudden travel.

Motioning to the hall, which appeared ready for a grand feast she answered, "All the arrangements have been made as the miss Helga requested with her due to arrive at noon time preceding your other guests tonight".

Rowena's dark brown eyes bright with excitement only moments before began to dull noticeably as she for the first time took in her surroundings and the adjustments that had been made to her normally austere furnishings.

"I had altogether forgotten about this most…unusual event," she said pausing as she began to walk further into the hall.

"Well I should hardly consider a young witch of your standing having other young people from the prominent families of the area for a feast unusual. In fact some would view your self-imposed isolation as the unusual event," Alva replied never taking her eyes off of her young mistress.

"There is no isolation self-imposed or otherwise. For one thing I have you, Nettie, and Duft. As well as Helga who I do not believe I could avoid if I wanted to. We have been the closest of friends since childhood as evidenced by the fact that I ever let her convince me to have this ridiculous gathering. Hardly a feast if it is only going to be us and two other guests".

The sound of swishing of skirts came through the entryway and laughter rang out, "My dear Rowena so long as the food and atmosphere are truly exceptional then a feast it shall be. And as I made the plans myself and they were carried out to perfection no doubt by your household of elves let us say with confidence that tonight shall be a fine feast," came the reply from a woman at the front of the hall. Her stature was small her build slight which suited the delicate if rounded features of her face. She was dressed in fine traveling cloak with her curly ginger blonde hair barely contained under a pointed hat, which matched the cloak.

Before Rowena had a chance to respond Alva stepped forward, "Welcome as always Miss Helga, I trust that you had a safe journey and that you will find everything to your liking during your stay".

"Yes thank you Alva, Duft has already taken care of my winged horse and I do believe Nettie is taking my things up to my usual rooms," Helga replied.

"Well then I shall retire to the kitchens to see that evening shall run smoothly from there," Alva gave a small bow to Rowena before turning to speak to Helga in a faux whisper. "Miss Helga I am to understand that the other members of your party tonight are in fact two wizards"?

With a smile spreading across her face Helga bent down to speak to the elf conspiratorially, "As ever Alva you are in possession of the facts".

With a significant look back at her mistress Alva turned once again to Helga, "Well then I ask that you do your best to get her into to one of the lovely gowns in her possession. I took it upon myself to lay out a few that I believe would do very nicely. And if not, at the very least if you could get her to remove the mud from her face, well I would be very grateful". A wicked smile was all that the two witches saw before with a snap of her fingers the elf was transported out of the hall to another part of the castle.

"I never tire of that elf, old as the air itself yet still sharper then an eagle's talon," Helga laughingly said.

"Yes well considering the Ravenclaw family's feelings towards wit she has always been an indispensable member of this household," Rowena agreed.

"Joking aside she does have a point about the mud Rowena, what have you been doing?" Helga questioned.

"To the south near the wetlands there is swamp which contains a type of toadstool that I believe has yet to be identified and may possess magical properties if I can just-," explained Rowena before being cutoff by her exasperated friend.

"Now really Rowena I am sure that there will be a time and a place when I will find your curiosities most engaging, but with all your intelligence you must realize that it is not here and now".

Rolling her eyes and making an effort to begin wiping the mud off of her face, "What then is it, my oldest and most dear friend, that you find engaging at this particular moment?" Rowena asked.

"Since you asked, it is figuring out why Godric Gryffindor and Salazar Slytherin were so insistent upon seeing and speaking to you and I, regarding some idea of alliance between our four families".


	2. Chapter 2

A soft mist had started to fall for what would be the third time since starting out on their journey and the two wizards opinions of the weather could not have differed more. Two men sat atop winged horses as they made their way through the stormy skies. One had light brown hair underneath a high pointed hat, was dressed in an outfit of varying shades of dark green, and had a shield across his back. His back was rigid and his dark eyes were constantly sweeping the surrounding areas. The other man who sat much more casually on his horse was dressed similarly, though more carelessly, with all of his clothes seeming slightly frayed and over worn with the wide brimmed hat on his head appearing to be the oldest thing he owned. His hair was a deep, rich red color and he sported a full beard to match. His entire appearance and demeanor seemed a contradiction to the brilliant silver and ruby sword hilt that was at his side. As he regarded his traveling companion his beard could not hide the wide smile that spread across his face.

"Salazar, with all of your peering about do you even know what you are looking for?" he asked not even trying to feign innocence.

Without turning to look at his friend in the eye he simply replied, "Trouble".

A loud burst of laughter was his immediate response but as he regained his composure Godric said, "Exactly! The best kind of trouble only comes when you are not paying attention, so I ask as your friend that you put an end to your ridiculous imitation of a bird of prey".

"Forgive me Godric if I do not share your desire to engage in every possible fight that might come my way. Awareness can lead to avoidance, so I will continue to be aware of our surroundings" he said.

"And here I thought you knew me better than that Salazar, why wait for a fight to come my why way when I am perfectly capable of starting one myself".

"Capable and willing to a fault," Salazar answered.

Godric once again laughing, "It will only be a fault if I die, and since that has yet to happen I see little point in worrying over the matter".

"Yes well for some of us the implications of starting a fight with any wizard of any family carries more weight then it does for others," he said with his eyes still scanning the darkened skies.

"Ah yes, the familial obligations. Am I right in assuming they are why we are currently flying with all haste to the highlands right now? When a Ravenclaw calls we must answer?" Godric asked.

"You know full well that my family is not formally aligned with the Ravenclaws, also it was Helga Hufflepuff that invited us, and finally even without any alliance do not act as if you do not understand the respect that the Ravenclaw family has always commanded here and abroad," Salazar answered.

Godric rolled his eyes as he began to speak, "Of course I understand, but that still does not explain why we have been summoned to stay at the castle of a witch who has not been seen or heard from in nearly a decade. And not I may add by the witch herself but of another witch who we are merely trusting to not have fabricated this whole charade".

Turning to make eye contact with his traveling companion Salazar spoke, "You and I have both met Helga a number of times and never once has she struck me as the type to lure anyone into anything. And for not seeing Rowena for some time I will grant you that it is odd, but when you consider all that happened with her family and the war ten years ago is it any wonder that she keeps to herself for the most part? Besides I hardly forced you into accepting the invitation so there is little point in acting otherwise".

"With the unexpected comes a chance of adventure so naturally I would be no where else, but I still do not understand the isolation. Because of what she did her family won the war, and even now there is not a wizarding family in the country that would deny them as allies or cross them as an enemy," Godric said.

"You continue to speak of the Ravenclaw "family" but are you forgetting that the war they won took her father, mother, and four older brothers, not to mention countless other relatives. Now she is all that remains, along with those from the lesser and more distant branches of her family. Survival is a burden most difficult to carry alone, why should she not prefer seclusion? " Salazar said.

"Salazar why must you always make such a reasonable argument? I will speak no more on the subject. And as you say Helga has been most enjoyable to be around in the past so I see no reason for that to be different now. So it would seem the only question still remaining is why we were called upon in the first place, the letter made no mention of the purpose?" Godric asked.

"All it said was that we had been invited at our earliest convenience to stay for a while at Castle Ravenclaw as the guests of Helga Hufflepuff on behalf of Rowena Ravenclaw to discuss certain matters in which she believes we are all like minded," Salazar answered.

Godric raised his eyebrows in an exaggerated way before he spoke, "Well are we sure Rowena did not invite us herself? I have yet to meet a Ravenclaw who did not use a vague and complicated riddle when a simple explanation was possible".

Their laughter was drowned out by the sound of thunder as the storm around them was finally taking form.


End file.
